Appleby's 1st-round 66 adds to strong '06 start

GOLF

LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Isleworth's Stuart Appleby, a native of the decidedly balmy climes of Australia, had an odd way of warming up for the 2006 PGA Tour season.

He spent a few days in December visiting his in-laws in Ohio, where the temperatures were lower than his nine-hole scores of late. A bit nippy, was it?

"That might be the dumbest question you have ever asked me," he said.

There's been no chilling effect on his game. Appleby took a big step toward winning his second event of the month Thursday with an opening 6-under 66 in the first round of the Buick Invitational, outgunning playing partners Sergio Garcia and defending champion Tiger Woods.

Appleby, who played the easier North Course at Torrey Pines, is locked in a nine-way tie for third, one stroke behind veteran Brandt Jobe and France's Thomas Levet, a former Ryder Cup player.

Appleby, who earlier this month won the season-opening Mercedes Championships for the third year in a row, never has won two titles in the same year despite the solid starts. Last year, in fact, he mustered three more top-10 finishes over the rest of 2005 and wasn't really a factor down the stretch in any event.

Call it lucky or whatever, but Appleby holed out from 135 yards for an eagle on the par-4 eighth hole and received a lucky carom off a cart path on No. 2 that led to a birdie.

One of the strongest and longest players on the tour, it appears that he's finally ratcheted it up a notch in terms of results and consistency. To that end, Appleby, 34, offered a definitive maybe.

"I've played like this before," Appleby said. "So it's not like it's something that's new to me. But doing it more often is, I guess -- ask me that question later in the year."

Woods faced some of the same questions he heard through much of last season, too. In his first appearance of the year, he shot a sloppy 71 on the North Course, and as was the case for much of last year, he bopped his driver all over the place. Woods hit a dismal 1-of-14 fairways in regulation with a new Nike Sasquatch model.

"The driver's fine," said Woods, who missed his last 11 fairways in succession. "It's the dude holding it. He's not very good."

Phil Mickelson, a San Diego native and a three-time winner of the event, opened with a 71 on the South -- which will host the 2008 U.S. Open -- and is six shots back. Garcia, ranked No. 6 in the world, finished with a 69.